Sporting Clube de Portugal

Foundation (1902–1906)

Sporting Club de Portugal has its origins in June 1902, when young men Francisco da Ponte, Horta Gavazzo and his brother José Maria decided to create Sport Club de Belas. This club, the first ancestor of Sporting, played just one match and at the end of the year's summer, disbanded. Two years later, the idea of creating a football club was revived, and this time, with the Gavazzo brothers joined by José Alvalade and José Stromp, a new club, the Campo Grande Football Club, was founded. They played their matches on the estate of Viscount of Alvalade, the grandfather of José Alvalade, with the club's headquarters located at the house of Francisco Gavazzo.

For two years, the club developed an intense activity on several sports, namely football, tennis and fencing. The club also organized parties and picnics. Eventually, during one picnic, on 12 April 1906, discussions erupted, as some members defended that the club should only focused on organizing picnics and social events, with another group defending that the club should focused on the practising of sports instead. Some time later, José Gavazzo, José Alvalade and 17 other members left the club, with the latter saying

"I am going to have with me my grandfather and he will give me the money to make another club."

As such, a new club, Campo Grande Sporting Clube, was founded. The Viscount of Alvalade, whose money helped to fund the club, was the first president of Sporting. José Alvalade, as one of the main founders, uttered on behalf of himself and his fellow co-founders,

"We want this club to be a great club, as great as the greatest in Europe."

Three months later, on 1 July 1906, António Félix da Costa Júnior suggested the name Sporting Clube de Portugal, and this date is considered the official day Sporting was founded.

Early years (1907–1946)

The year 1907 marked some "firsts" for the club, as Sporting played the first football match of their history on 3 February, ending in a 5–1 defeat against 3rd-tier club Cruz Negra; inaugurated their first ground, known as "Sítio das Mouras" (the most advanced in Portugal at the time, equipped with showers, two tennis courts, an athletics track and a football field) on 4 July; and played the first derby of all time against local rivals S.L. Benfica (then known as Grupo Sport Lisboa) on 1 December.

The club also released their first report card on 31 March 1922, titled "Boletim do Sporting" (Sporting's Report), lending the foundation for the later called "Jornal do Sporting", the official newspaper of the club, that still exists today.

Sporting played their first Primeira Liga game (the 1st Division of Portuguese football) ever on 20 January 1935, winning 0–6 against Académica de Coimbra. A year later, in 1936, the club had their heaviest defeat ever against Porto, losing 10–1. Sporting, however, got their revenge a year later, when they humbled the same team with a 9–1 result. In 1941, under the guidance of Hungarian manager József Szabó, the club celebrated the first league title of their history.

Golden years (1947–1974)

The football team had their height during the 1940s and 1950s. It was spearheaded by Fernando Peyroteo, José Travassos, Albano Pereira, Jesus Correia and Manuel Vasques, in a quintet nicknamed "The Five Violins". With the violins' help, Sporting won seven league titles in eight seasons between 1947 and 1954, including a then unprecedented four in a row from 1950–51 onwards. Fernando Peyroteo, the most known of "the violins", is considered one of the greatest Portuguese players of all time.

Sporting and the Yugoslavian team Partizan both made history on 4 September 1955, as they played the first-ever UEFA Champion Clubs' Cup match. Sporting player João Martins scored the first-ever goal of the competition, on the 14th minute. The match ended in a 3–3 draw.

Sporting also inaugurated their new venue, José Alvalade Stadium, on 10 June 1956. This stadium was the home ground of the club until 2003.

In the 1960s, Sporting achieved overseas success, winning the 1963–64 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, defeating MTK Budapest of Hungary in the final. It was the only time a Portuguese team side won a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup title. The team entered the competition defeating Atalanta in the qualifying round, then past Cypriot club APOEL in what was the biggest win in a single UEFA competitions game to date: 16–1, a record that still stands today. On the next round, they lost 4–1 to Manchester United at Old Trafford in the first hand, but made a remarkable comeback at home, winning 5–0. In the semi-finals, Sporting eliminated Lyon, and in the end MTK Budapest, in a two-round final to win their first European title. The winning goal was scored by João Morais from a direct corner kick.

The club reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1974, but lost to eventual winners 1. FC Magdeburg of East Germany.

League title drought (1982–2000)

English manager Malcolm Allison arrived at Sporting in 1981, and under his guidance the club won the domestic double (league title and Portuguese cup), in 1982.

In the years between 1982 and 2000, Sporting suffered from a drought of titles. Despite defeating rivals Benfica 4–0 on aggregate to win the Portuguese Super Cup in 1987, Sporting fans had to wait until 1995 to see their team win some silverware after beating Club Sport Marítimo 2–0 in the final of the 1995 Portuguese Cup. That victory granted Sporting a place in the following season's Portuguese Super Cup. After drawing 0–0 at Estádio José Alvalade and securing a 2–2 draw at Estádio das Antas on 30 April 1996, a replay match was held at the Parc de Princes in Paris. Sporting won 3–0 with Sá Pinto scoring twice and Carlos Xavier scoring a stoppage time penalty. In the same 1995–96 season, Sporting also reached the Portuguese Cup final but lost 3–1 to Benfica.

Highlights of this time also include a 7–1 victory over arch-rivals Benfica at the old José Alvalade Stadium on 14 December 1986. Sporting also reached the UEFA Cup semi-final in 1991, losing against Internazionale. Also, Barcelona and Real Madrid were both tied and defeated in Lisbon when playing against Sporting in the old UEFA Cup, in the 1986–87 and 1994–95 seasons, respectively.

In 2000, Sporting, led by manager Augusto Inácio (a former Sporting player, who replaced Giuseppe Materazzi at the beginning of the season), won the league title on the last match day, with a 4–0 victory over Salgueiros, ending an 18-year drought.

The new millennium (2001–present)

In the 2001–02 season, Sporting conquered the league title, the Portuguese Cup 2001–02 and the 2002 Portuguese Super Cup. Sporting also had back-to-back wins in the Portuguese Cup in 2007 and 2008. In 2005 Sporting reached their second European final, the 2005 UEFA Cup Final. Playing at their home ground, the team lost 3–1 against Russian club CSKA Moscow. The club almost reached another European final in 2012, but were dropped out of the competition by Athletic Bilbao, in the semi-finals of the 2011–12 Europa League. Sporting also reached, for the first time, the knockout phase of UEFA Champions League, in the 2008–09 season, but were roundly defeated by FC Bayern Munich, with an aggregate loss of 12–1. This is widely regarded as one of the lowest points in the history of the club.

Also, years of financial mismanagement almost led to the demise of the club. In 2011, the club had amassed debts of over €276 million. The results on the pitch were also abysmal, with Sporting finishing seventh – their lowest position ever in the league table – in the 2012–13 Primeira Liga. After immense pressure both from within and outside the club, Godinho Lopes, then-president of Sporting, resigned. Bruno de Carvalho was his successor. Carvalho's intentions were to negotiate with the banks and return success to the club, while threatening to take Godinho Lopes to court.

The 2013–14 season saw improvements in the results, as Sporting finished second in the table, thus gaining direct access to the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, the first time in five years the club reached the top-tier of European competitions.

In the 2014–15 season, Sporting won their 16th Portuguese Cup in dramatic fashion. The Lisbon side, led by Marco Silva, played the final against Braga, and after a disastrous start, found themselves losing 0–2 at half-time and playing with ten men after the sending-off of Cédric Soares. With the final seemingly lost, Islam Slimani gave some hope to the fans as he scored the 1–2 on the 83 minute. In stoppage time, Fredy Montero managed to equalize, forcing extra-time. Sporting ultimately won the match 3–1 on penalties. Celebrations ended in a pacific pitch invasion of Estádio José Alvalade by the fans, as the club touched silverware for the first time in seven years.

In June 2015, Jorge Jesus joined Sporting after Benfica opted not to renew his contract as coach of the club, signing a three-year contract. Presented as the new manager of the club on 1 July, the managerial change took the rivalry of both Lisbon clubs to new heights. Some Portuguese media called the event ''O Verão Quente de 2015" ("The Hot Summer of 2015"). Under Jesus' tenure, Sporting won the Portuguese Super Cup for the eighth time, against back-to-back champions Benfica (1–0). Despite a positive start, Sporting did not win any other trophy, finishing second in the Primeira Liga with 86 points, two points behind Benfica, despite breaking the former points record in the league.

Team colours and kits

Sporting, ever since its formation in 1906, have always had the green and white colours. The first kit in 1907 was all white until 1908, when they introduced the now referred by fans as "Classic" kit with vertical stripes. The modern horizontal stripes were introduced on a derby against Benfica in 1928.

Crests

Since its formation, on 1 July 1906, Sporting has had six crests, all of which have included the color green and the lion.

The current crest of Sporting was adopted in 2001. There were also the special anniversary crests to celebrate the 50th (1956) and 100th (2006) anniversaries of the club. These weren't actually worn in kits during matches, but were used as emblems by fans.

Rivalries and friendships

Sporting's main rivals are Benfica, with both teams contesting the Lisbon Derby (also known as The Eternal Derby). The rivalry started in 1907, when some players of Benfica left the club to join Sporting, looking for better conditions. The first derby of all time was contested on the same year, ending with a 2–1 victory for Sporting.

The most famous victory of Sporting over Benfica occurred on 14 December 1986, where Sporting beat arch-rivals 7–1, when Benfica was leading the league. Manuel Fernandes was particularly inspired, scoring four goals, with Mário Jorge (two goals), and Ralph Meade (one goal) also scoring for Sporting. However, after the loss, Benfica still managed to become Portuguese champions.

Another notable derby was the one contested on the evening of 14 May 1994. In a rainy day, with the old José Alvalade Stadium crowded to the top, winning the derby was a decisive step for Sporting, as they were trying to regain the title, which by this time the team had not won for 12 years. Sporting were favorites with a squad composed by, among others, Luís Figo, Krasimir Balakov, Ivaylo Yordanov, Emílio Peixe, Stan Valckx and Paulo Sousa (who at the beginning of the season transferred from Benfica). As such, Benfica were seen as the underdogs, but defied the odds with a 3–6 victory, eventually securing the title some weeks later, leaving Sporting empty-handed, in one of the most dramatic seasons in the club's history.

The rivalry has become even more intense after a dramatic incident in the final of the 1996 Portuguese Cup, which Benfica won 3–1. After Benfica scored the first goal, a member of Benfica organised group No Name Boys lit a flare, which struck a Sporting fan in the chest, killing him instantly. On 8 February 2015, during a derby at Alvalade, a supporter's group of Sporting showed a banner with the inscription "Sigam o King" ("Follow the King"), in reference to Eusébio's death. On the next day, in a futsal derby, members of No Name Boys showed a banner saying "Very Light 96". In 2011, after a loss to Benfica at the Estádio da Luz (1–0), a group of Sporting supporters set fire to one of the stands of the stadium.

Sporting also has a rivalry with FC Porto. This rivalry is depicted in the 1947 Portuguese movie O Leão da Estrela.

Juventude Leonina (simply known as Juve Leo), are the main organised ultra group of Sporting since 1976. They maintain friendship with Grobari, ultras of Serbian club Partizan, with 7bello of Italian Fiorentina, and B-side of Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles. In Portugal, they have a good relationship with Mancha Negra of Académica de Coimbra. Other Sporting' supporter groups are also Torcida Verde (since 1984), Directivo Ultras XXI (since 2002) and Brigada Ultras (since 2004).

The direction boards of Sporting and Partizan also have good relations, which were kept ever since the 1955–56 European Cup edition, which on 4 September 1955 at Estádio Nacional, put head-a-head the two teams in what was considered the opening whistle of the UEFA European Cup.

Hungarian side MTK Budapest inaugurated their new stadium with a match against Sporting, on 14 September 2016. The first game at the Hungária körút ended with a 2–2 draw. The two football clubs have maintained very good relations since they met in the European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1964. Although MTK was defeated 1–0 in the final, the silver medal is still considered one of the greatest achievements of the Hungarian club.

Stadium

Throughout its history, Sporting has had several grounds. The first one was inaugurated on 4 July 1907, and was called "Sítio das Mouras".

In 1956, the first Estádio de Alvalade was inaugurated. Sporting played their matches there until 2003, when the stadium was demolished.

In Lisbon, the new stadium, Alvalade XXI ("Estádio José Alvalade"), was built for UEFA Euro 2004, hosted by Portugal. Designed by Tomás Taveira, it was inaugurated on 6 August 2003. The opening match was a 3–1 victory over Manchester United. The stadium was awarded a 'five-star' certificate at 2005 UEFA Cup Final by then UEFA president Lennart Johansson. The stadium has a capacity of 50,095 spectators.

Domestic competitions

Primeira Liga: 18

Winners: 1940–41, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1999–2000, 2001–02

Portuguese Cup: 16

Winners: 1940–41, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1953–54, 1962–63, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1981–82, 1994–95, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2014–15

Portuguese Super Cup: 8

Winners: 1982, 1987, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2015

Championship of Portugal: 4

Winners: 1922–23, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1937–38

European competitions

European Cup Winners' Cup: 1

Winners: 1963–64

Current squad

As of 23 January 2017

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Portuguese Top Goalscorer

The Portuguese League top scorer was awarded the Silver Shoe from 1934–35 until 1951–52. Since the 1952–53 season, the sports newspaper A Bola awards the Silver Ball prize.

¹Shared award; ²Portuguese record; ³European Golden Shoe

Player of the Year

The Player of the Year award is named after former player Francisco Stromp, and was instituted from 1992. The list below is a list of winners of the award.

Award winners

(While playing for Sporting CP)

European Golden Boot

Héctor Yazalde (46 goals) – 1974 (Portuguese record)

Mário Jardel (42 goals) – 2002

African Footballer of the Year

Emmanuel Amuneke – 1994

Bulgarian Footballer of the Year

Krasimir Balakov – 1995

Ivaylo Yordanov – 1998

Algerian Ballon d'Or

Islam Slimani – 2013

UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Golden Player

Luís Figo – 1994

William Carvalho – 2015

FIFA U-20 World Cup

Golden Ball

Emílio Peixe – 1991 Portugal

Silver Ball

Dani – 1995 Qatar

Bronze Ball

Paulo Torres – 1991 Portugal

UEFA European Under-17 Championship Golden Player Award

Miguel Veloso – 2003 Portugal

Portuguese Golden Ball

Luís Figo – 1994

Portuguese Footballer of the Year

Rui Jordão¹ – 1980

António Oliveira¹ – 1981, 1982

Jorge Cadete² −1990

Luís Figo^{1; 2} – 1995

Alberto Acosta² – 2000

Mário Jardel^{1; 2} – 2002

LPFP Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year

Miguel Veloso – 2006–07

William Carvalho – 2013–14

LPFP Primeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Year

Rui Patrício – 2011–12, 2015-2016

Segunda Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year

Bruma – 2012–13

FIFA World Cup All-Star Team

Krasimir Balakov – 1994 United States

Ricardo – 2006 Germany

Marcos Rojo – 2014 Brazil

The 100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century

Peter Schmeichel

Former coaches

For details on former coaches, see List of Sporting Clube de Portugal managers.

Club officials

As of 24 October 2012.

Directive Board

President: Bruno de Carvalho

Vice-Presidents: Artur Torres Pereira, Carlos Vieira, Vicente Moura, Vítor Silva Ferreira, António Rebelo

Vowel: Bruno Mascarenhas Garcia, Luís Roque, Rui Caeiro, Alexandre Henriques, José Quintela

Substitutes: Rita Matos, Luís Gestas, Jorge Sanches, Luís Loureiro

General Assembly

President: Jaime Marta Soares

Vice-President: Rui Solheiro

Secretaries: Miguel de Castro, Luís Pereira, Tiago Abade

Substitutes: Diogo Orvalho, Manuel Mendes, Rui Fernandes

Fiscal and Disciplinary Council

President: Jorge Bacelar Gouveia

Vice-President: Nuno Marques

Vowels: Óscar Figueiredo, Vicente Caldeira Pires, Vítor do Vale, Miguel Fernandes, Jorge Gaspar

Substitutes: João Peixoto da Silva, Nuno dos Santos, Ricardo Cabral

Sporting – Sociedade Desportiva de Futebol, S.A.D.

Directive Board

President: Bruno de Carvalho

Others

Chartered Accountants Society: KPMG & Associados, SROC, S.A.

Society Secretaries: Patrícia Silva Lopes, Hugo Serra de Moura (Substitute)

Shareholders' Committee: José Filipe de Mello, Castro Guedes

Others

Leões de Portugal

President: António Menezes Rodrigues

Vice-Presidents: Maria Helena Dias Ferreira, Maria da Graça Nunes de Carvalho, Maria Isabel Monteiro Nobre

Vowels: António Aguiar de Matos, Eduardo Amaro Júlio

Treasurer: José Monteiro de Castro

Substitute: Jorge Galrão Jorge, Mário Simões, Ana Rita Ferreira

Other sports

Sporting Clube de Portugal has various sports departments.

Extinct sections

Superleague Formula team